Gene Donley is proud of his home. He shares it with 48 other families at the Village Cooperative in Fergus Falls.
The cooperative celebrates its first anniversary on May 7. “I prefer to think of it as our first birthday here,” he said. In honor of this birthday, the cooperative is hosting an open house on May 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jennifer Rogholt, Resident Services Coordinator, is planning tours of the facilities, free door prizes, coffee and, of course, birthday cake. “Village Cooperative is like 49 families getting together and buying a mansion,” she said. Groups with shared interests will meet, including the knitting and crocheting group (Knit Pickers and Hookers), and the painting group. The cooperative concept originated in the mid-1970s in which individuals buy a living unit, or share. Village living units range in price from $26,000 to $42,000. Typical floor-plans include a two-bedroom unit with kitchen and a single-bedroom unit with a den. A monthly fee is paid into a cooperative account which is used to pay property taxes, maintenance and repairs, as well as water, sewer and garbage collection. The Village Cooperative boasts such amenities as a great room, exercise room, guest suite and a tuck-under heated garage and workshop. There is a quarter-mile paved walking path surrounding the complex, with raised planting beds for residents to plant whatever they wish. Free parking will be provided at the Bigwood Event Center, with free shuttle service to the Village Cooperative. For more information, contact Jennifer Rogholt at 218-736-7880.